The Ones Who Walked Away from Omelas

Social Justice is often described as forming an ideal environment fueled by the concepts of equality and promoting the human dignity and rights of the common good.  In “The Ones Who Walked Away from Omelas,” Ursala creates a utopian society that seems to have no visible flaws at first glance. “They were not simple folk, you see, though they were happy. …But there was no king. They did not use swords, or keep slaves. They were not barbarians.” On the surface, the city of Omelas might be interpreted as an environment incorporating the basic principles of social justice: solidarity and equality. When initially reading this passage, the reader might assume that a utopia is an environment that incorporates the principles of social justice. Upon closer examination, this theory can quickly become disproven. “The Ones Who Walked Away form Omelas” states the stark reality that utopias do not exist. The notion of creating a flawless society can only flourish in the shallow imagination. Therefore, in order to understand social justice, we must first understand that suffering exists. The emaciated child imprisoned within the depths of this ‘perfect society’ is a concrete example of this theory.  No matter how perfect life may seem from the outside, there is always that one person locked away in isolation, ultimately suffering on the inside. According to the passage, suffering is even contagious. Many who visited the decrepit child never became whole again and were swept into a downward spiral of suffering, ultimately due to the lack of the support of the community. “At times one of the adolescent girls or boys who go to see the child does not go home to weep or rage, does not, in fact, go home at all. Sometimes also a man or woman much older falls silent for a day or two, and then leaves home. These people go out into the street, and walk down the street alone. They keep walking, and walk straight out of the city of Omelas, through the beautiful gates.” Though utopias are impossible to create, we can implement actions into our daily lives to take one step closer to living a life full of social justice. Instead of shunning those who suffer, we must embrace them as a community.